Birds

Caribbean flamingo

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Phoenicopterus ruber

PROFILE:

Flamingos get their pink coloring from the food they eat. The pink coloration you see comes from a protein called carotene, which can be found in the small crustaceans and other types of plankton they eat. Flamingos eat by sweeping their heads back and forth in the water. They filter out food that is in the water with their highly specialized bills.

TYPE OF ANIMAL:

Bird, Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos)

NATIVE TO:

Caribbean, southern United States, Mexico, South America, and Galápagos